A
leader or a man of action in a crisis almost always acts subconsciously
and then thinks of the reasons for his action.

A moment comes,
which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to
the new; when an age ends; and when the soul of a nation long suppressed
finds utterance.

Action itself, so
long as I am convinced that it is right action, gives me satisfaction.
(Mars in Libra in 11th house)

Action to be effective
must be directed to clearly conceived ends.
(Mars in Libra trine Neptune & Pluto)

Crises and deadlocks
when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to
think.

Culture is the widening
of the mind and of the spirit.

Every little thing
counts in a crisis.
(Saturn in Virgo)

Great causes and
little men go ill together.

Ignorance is always
afraid of change.

It is only too easy
to make suggestions and later try to escape the consequences of what
we say.
(Mercury in Scorpio conjunct Ascendant)

It is the habit
of every aggressor nation to claim that it is acting on the defensive.

Life is like a game
of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it
is free will.

Peace is not a relationship
of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of
soul. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.

The art of a people
is a true mirror to their minds.

The person who runs
away exposes himself to that very danger more than a person who sits
quietly.

The policy of being
too cautious is the greatest risk of all.

We live in a wonderful
world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to
the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.

What we really are
matters more than what other people think of us. :
Democracy is good. I say this because other systems are worse.

The only alternative
to coexistence is codestruction.

I have become a
queer mixture of the East and the West, out of place everywhere, at
home nowhere.
ATTRIBUTION: On influence of his British education, recalled on his
death 27 May 64

I do not attach
much importance to America's bombs. I attach importance to her great
vitality and integrity. The strength of America is deeper and more significant
than her financial power.

“Without
peace, all other dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes.”

“Failure
comes only when we forget our ideals and objectives and principles.”

“It is science
alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation
and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening of custom and tradition,
of vast resources running to waste, or a rich country inhabited by starving
poor... Who indeed could afford to ignore science today? At every turn
we have to seek its aid... The future belongs to science and those who
make friends with science.”
(Venus & Uranus conjunct Ascendant)

“Time is
not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one
feels, and what one achieves.”

“I want nothing
to do with any religion concerned with keeping the masses satisfied
to live in hunger, filth, and ignorance. I want nothing to do with any
order, religious or otherwise, which does not teach people that they
are capable of becoming happier and more civilized on this earth, capable
of becoming master of his fate and captain of his soul.”

“No country
or people who are slaves to dogma and the dogmatic mentality can progress,
and unhappily our country and people have become extraordinarily dogmatic
and little-minded”

“Culture
is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.”

“Citizenship
consists in the service of the country”

“Democracy
and socialism are means to an end, not the end itself.”

“The forces
in a capitalist society, if left unchecked, tend to make the rich richer
and the poor poorer.”

“Facts are
facts and will not disappear on account of your likes”

“Obviously,
the highest type of efficiency is that which can utilize existing material
to the best advantage”

“The purely
agitational attitude is not good enough for a detailed consideration
of a subject”

“A theory
must be tempered with reality.”

“Our chief
defect is that we are more given to talking about things than to doing
them”

“The person
who talks most of his own virtue is often the least virtuous”

“Let us be
a little humble; let us think that the truth may not perhaps be entirely
with us”

“There is
perhaps nothing so bad and so dangerous in life as fear.”

“Socialism
is . . . not only a way of life, but a certain scientific approach to
social and economic problems.”

“To be in
good moral condition requires at least as much training as to be in
good physical condition.”

“Loyal and
efficient work in a great cause, even though it may not be immediately
recognized, ultimately bears fruit”

“You don't
change the course of history by turning the faces of portraits to the
wall”

“The man
who has gotten everything he wants is all in favor of peace and order.”

“What we
need is a generation of peace.”

“Evil unchecked
grows, evil tolerated poisons the whole system.”

“ At the
stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake
to life and freedom.”

“America
is a country no one should go to for the first time”

“It is a
fundamental rule of human life that, if the approach is good, the response
is good”

“Those who
are prepared to die for any cause are seldom defeated”

“India cannot
sit on the fence anymore. It may have to make a choice. Either way it
is going face problems,”

“I think
the years I have spent in prison have been the most formative and important
in my life because of the discipline, the sensations, but chiefly the
opportunity to think clearly, to try to understand things.”
(Venus & Uranus in Libra in 12th house)

Born
14 November 1889
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died May 27, 1964
Delhi, India
Political party Indian National Congress
Spouse Kamala Nehru
Religion Atheist; Hindu family background

(November
14, 1889 – May 27, 1964) was a senior political leader of the
Indian National Congress, was a pivotal figure during the Indian independence
movement and served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
Popularly referred to as Panditji (Scholar), Nehru was also a writer,
scholar and amateur historian, and the patriarch of India's most influential
political family.

As the son of the
wealthy Indian barrister and politician Motilal Nehru, Nehru had become
one of the youngest leaders of the Indian National Congress. Rising
under the mentorship of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru became a charismatic,
radical leader, advocating complete independence from the British Empire.
An icon for Indian youth, Nehru was also an exponent of socialism as
a means to address long-standing national challenges. Serving as Congress
President, Nehru raised the flag of independent India in Lahore on December
31, 1929. A forceful and charismatic orator, Nehru was a major influence
in organising nationalist rebellions and spreading the popularity of
the nationalist cause to India's minorities. Elected to lead free India's
government, Nehru would serve as India's prime minister and head of
the Congress till his death.

As India's leader,
Nehru oversaw major national programmes of industrialization, agrarian
and land reforms, infrastructure and energy development. He passionately
worked for women's rights, secularism and advancement of education and
social welfare. Nehru incepted the policy of non-alignment and developed
India's foreign policy under the ideals of Pancasila. However, he was
criticised for his failure of leadership during the Sino-Indian War
in 1962. Later after his successor Lal Bahadur Shastri's demise ; Nehru's
daughter Indira Gandhi would go on to lead the Congress and serve as
prime minister, as would his grandson Rajiv. Rajiv's widow Sonia and
her children lead the Congress today, maintaining the Nehru-Gandhi family's
prominence in Indian politics.

Early life
Nehru at Harrow when he was 15.Jawaharlal Nehru was born in the city
of Allahabad, situated along the banks of the Ganga River (now in the
state of Uttar Pradesh). Jawahar means a "gem" in Arabic and
is a name similar in meaning to moti, "pearl". He was the
eldest child of Swarup Rani, the wife of wealthy barrister Motilal Nehru.
The Nehru family descended from Kashmiri heritage and belonged to the
Saraswat Brahmin caste of Hindus. Training as a lawyer, Motilal had
moved to Allahabad and developed a successful practise and had become
active in India's largest political party, the Indian National Congress.
Nehru and his sisters — Vijaya Lakshmi and Krishna — lived
in a large mansion called Anand Bhavan and were raised with English
customs, mannerisms and dress. While learning Hindi and Sanskrit, the
Nehru children would be trained to converse fluently and regularly in
English.

Jawaharlal and
Kamala at their wedding.After being tutored at home and attending some
of the most modern schools in India, Nehru would travel to England at
the age of 15 to attend the Harrow School(The Head Master's House).
He would proceed to study natural sciences at the Trinity College before
choosing to train as a barrister at the Middle Temple in London. An
average student, Nehru was attracted to the arts, culture and society
of Western Europe and would pursue an active social life. Frequenting
the theatres, museums and opera houses of London, he would spend his
vacations travelling across Europe. Observers would later describe him
as an elegant, charming young intellectual and socialite. Nehru would
also participate actively in the political activities of the Indian
student community, growing increasingly attracted to socialism and liberalism,
which were beginning to influence the politics and economies of Europe.

Upon his return
to India, Nehru's marriage was arranged with Kamala Kaul. Married on
February 8, 1916 Nehru age was 27 and his bride was 16 years old. The
first few years of their marriage were hampered by the cultural gulf
between the anglicized Nehru and Kamala, who observed Hindu traditions
and focused on family affairs. The following year Kamala would give
birth to their only child, their daughter Indira Priyadarshini. Having
made few attempts to establish himself in a legal practise, Nehru was
immediately attracted to Indian political life, which at the time was
emerging from divisions over World War I. The moderate and extremist
factions of the Congress had reunited in its 1916 session in Lucknow,
and Indian politicians had demanded Home Rule and dominion status for
India. Joining the Congress under the patronage of his father, Nehru
grew increasingly disillusioned with the liberal and anglicized nature
of Congress politicians, which included his father. Although frequently
hailed as a future leader of the Congress and India, Nehru's political
rise did not begin until the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on India's political

Young leader
Nehru was very strongly attracted to Gandhi's philosophy and leadership.
Gandhi had led a successful rebellion on behalf of indentured Indian
workers while a lawyer in South Africa. Upon his return to India, Gandhi
organised the peasants and farmers of Champaran and Kheda in successful
rebellions against oppressive tax policies levied by the British. Gandhi
espoused what he termed as satyagraha — mass civil disobedience
governed by ahimsa, or complete non-violence. A forceful exponent of
Indian self-reliance, Gandhi's success electrified Indians, who had
been divided in their approach to contesting British rule. Having met
Gandhi and learning of his ideas, Nehru would assist him during the
Champaran agitation.

The family of
Motilal Nehru, with Jawaharlal, his wife Kamala and daughter Indira.Following
Gandhi's example, Nehru and his family abandoned their Western-style
clothes, possessions and wealthy lifestyle. Wearing clothes spun out
of khadi, Nehru would emerge as one of the most energetic supporters
of Gandhi. Under Gandhi's influence, Nehru began studying the Bhagavad
Gita and would practice yoga throughout his life. He would increasingly
look to Gandhi for advice and guidance in his personal life, and would
spend a lot of time travelling and living with Gandhi. Nehru travelled
across India delivering political speeches aimed at recruiting India's
masses, especially its youth into the agitation launched in 1919 against
the Rowlatt Acts and the Khilafat struggle. He spoke passionately and
forcefully to encourage Hindu-Muslim unity, spread education and self-reliance
and the need to eradicate social evils such as untouchability, poverty,
ignorance and unemployment.

Young Nehru.Emerging
as a key orator and prominent organiser, Nehru became one of the most
popular political leaders in northern India, especially with the people
of the United Provinces, Bihar and the Central Provinces. His youth
and passion for social justice and equality attracted India's Muslims,
women and other minorities. Nehru's role grew especially important following
the arrest of senior leaders such as Gandhi and his father, and he would
also be imprisoned along with his mother and sisters for many months.
Alarmed by growing violence in the conduct of mass agitations, Gandhi
suspended the struggle after the killing of 22 policemen by a nationalist
mob at Chauri Chaura on February 4, 1922. This sudden move disillusioned
many nationalists, including Nehru's father Motilal, who would join
the newly formed Swaraj Party in 1923. However, Nehru remained loyal
to Gandhi and publicly supported him.

A lull in nationalist
activities enabled Nehru to turn his attention to social causes and
local government. In 1924, he was elected president of the municipal
corporation of Allahabad, serving as the city's chief executive for
two years. Nehru would launch ambitious schemes to promote education,
sanitation, expand water and electricity supply and reduce unemployment
— his ideas and experience would prove valuable to him when he
assumed charge of India's government in 1947. Achieving some success,
Nehru was dissatisfied and angered by the perceived obstruction of British
officials and corruption amongst civil servants. He would resign from
his position within two years.

In the early part
of the decade, his marriage and family life had suffered owing to the
constant activity on his part and that of his father. Although facing
domestic pressures and tensions in the absence of her husband, Kamala
would increasingly travel with Nehru, address public meetings and seek
to sponsor and encourage nationalist activities in her hometown. In
the late 1920s, the initial marital gulf between the two disappeared
and the couple would grow closer to each other and their daughter. In
1926 Nehru took his wife and daughter to Europe so that Kamala could
receive specialist medical care. The family travelled and lived in England,
Switzerland, France and Germany. Continuing his political work, Nehru
would be deeply impressed by the rising currents of radical socialism
in Europe, and would deliver fervent speeches in condemnation of imperialism.
On a visit to the Soviet Union, Nehru was favourably impressed by the
command economy, but grew critical of Stalin's totalitarianism.

Rise to national
leadership
in the 1920s.In the 1920s, Nehru was elected president of the All India
Trade Unions Congress. He and Subhash Chandra Bose had become the most
prominent youth leaders, and both demanded outright political independence
of India. Nehru criticised the Nehru Report prepared by his father in
1928, which called for dominion status for India within the British
Empire. The radicalism of Nehru and Bose would provoke intense debates
during the 1928 Congress session in Guwahati. Arguing that India would
deliver an ultimatum to the British and prepare for mass struggle, Nehru
and Bose won the hearts of many young Indians. To resolve the issue,
Gandhi said that the British would be given two years to grant India
dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would launch a national
struggle for full political independence. Nehru and Bose succeeded in
reducing the statutory deadline to one year.

The failure of talks
with the British caused the December 1929 session in Lahore to be held
in an atmosphere charged with nationalist, anti-British passions. Preparing
for the declaration of independence, the AICC elected Jawaharlal Nehru
as Congress President at the encouragement of Gandhi. Favoured by Gandhi
for his charismatic appeal to India's masses, minorities, women and
youth, the move nevertheless surprised many Congressmen and political
observers. Many had demanded that Gandhi or the leader of the Bardoli
Satyagraha, Vallabhbhai Patel assume the presidency, especially as the
leader of the Congress would the inaugurater of India's struggle for
complete freedom. Nehru was seen by many as too inexperienced for the
job of leading India's largest political organisation, including himself:

"I have seldom
felt quite so annoyed and humiliated... It was not that I was not sensible
of the honour... But I did not come to it by the main entrance or even
the side entrance: I appeared suddenly from a trap door and bewildered
the audience into acceptance."

On December 31,
1929 President Nehru hoisted the flag of independence before a massive
public gathering along the banks of the Ravi River. The Congress would
promulgate the Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) declaration on January
26, 1930. With the launching of the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, Nehru travelled
across Gujarat and other parts of the country participating and encouraging
in the mass rebellion against the salt tax. Despite his father's death
in 1931, Nehru and his family remained at the forefront of the struggle.
Arrested with his wife and sisters, Nehru would be incarcerated for
all but four months between 1931 and 1935.

Avadi and Quit India
Nehru and Gandhi at the 1942 Congress in Mumbai.With Kamala Nehru's
health increasingly fragile, Nehru was released by the British and he
travelled with his family once again to Europe in 1935, where Kamala
would remain bed-ridden. Torn between the freedom struggle and tending
to his wife, Nehru would travel back and forth between India and Europe,
and despite the care given by him, his daughter Indira and specialist
doctors, Kamala Nehru died in 1938. Deeply saddened, Nehru nevertheless
continued to maintain a hectic schedule. He would always wear a fresh
rose in his coat for the remainder of his life to remember Kamala, who
had also become a national heroine.

Nehru had been re-elected
Congress President in 1936, and had presided over its session in Lucknow.
Here he participated in a fierce debate with Gandhi, Patel and other
Congress leaders over the adoption of socialism as the official goal
of the party. Younger socialists such as Jaya Prakash Narayan, Mridula
Sarabhai, Narendra Dev and Asoka Mehta began to see Nehru as leader
of Congress socialists. Under their pressure, the Congress passed the
Avadi Resolution proclaiming socialism as the model for India's future
government. Nehru was re-elected the following year, and oversaw the
Congress national campaign for the 1937 elections. Largely leaving political
organisation work to others, Nehru travelled the length and breadth
of the country, exhorting the masses on behalf of the Congress, which
would win an outright majority in the central and most of the provincial
legislatures. Although he did not contest elections himself, Nehru was
seen by the national media as the leader of the Congress.

sitting next to
Mahatma Gandhi at the AICC General Session, 1942At the outbreak of World
War II, India was entered on the side of the British by the viceroy.
Outraged at the viceroy's arbitrary decision, all elected Congressmen
resigned from their offices at the instigation of Subhash Bose and Nehru.
But even as Bose would call for an outright revolt and would proceed
to seek the aid of Nazi Germany and Japan, Nehru remained sympathetic
to the British cause. He joined Maulana Azad, Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari
and Patel in offering Congress support for the war effort in turn for
a commitment from the British to grant independence after the war. In
doing so, Nehru broke ranks with Gandhi, who had resisted in supporting
war and remained suspicious of the British. The failure of negotiations
and Britain's refusal to concede independence outraged Indian nationalists.
Gandhi and Patel called for an all-out rebellion, a demand that was
opposed by Rajagopalachari and resisted by Nehru and Azad. After intensive
debates and heated discussions, the Congress leaders called for the
British to Quit India — to transfer power to Indian hands immediately
or face a mass rebellion. Despite his skepticism, Nehru travelled the
country to exhort India's masses into rebellion. He was arrested with
the entire Congress Working Committee on August 9, 1942 and transported
to a maximum security prison at a fort in Ahmednagar. Here he would
remain incarcerated with his colleagues till June 1945. His daughter
Indira and her husband Feroze Gandhi would also be imprisoned for a
few months. Nehru's first grandchild, Rajiv was born in 1944.

] Responses to Gandhi
Nehru speaks highly of Gandhi throughout his life. In the passage below,
he speaks about the Salt March that Gandhi organized in order to try
to get the British out of the colony of India. Below, in an excerpt
from his autobiograhpy, Nehru speaks about his respect for Gandhi and
his salt march.

It seemed as though
a spring had been suddendly released; and all over the country in town
and village, salt manufacture was the topic of the day. We knew precious
little about it, and so we read it up where we could, and issued leaflets
giving directions, and collected pots and pans and ultimately succeeded
in producing some unwholesome stuff, which we waved about in triumph.
It was really immaterial whether the stuff was good or bad; the main
thing was to commit a breach of the obnoxious salt law. As we saw the
abounding enthusiasm of the people and the way salt-making was spreading
like a prairie fire, we felt a little abashed and ashamed for having
questioned the efficacy of this method when it was first proposed by
Gandhi. And we marveled at the amazing knack of the man to impress the
multitude and make it act in an organized way.

India's first prime
minister
Maulana Azad and Nehru.Nehru and his colleagues had been released as
the British Cabinet Mission arrived to propose plans for transfer of
power. The Congress held a presidential election in the knowledge that
its chosen leader would become India's head of government. 11 Congress
state units nominated Vallabhbhai Patel, while only the Working Committee
suggested Nehru. Sensing that Nehru would not accept second place to
Patel, Gandhi supported Nehru and asked Patel to withdraw, which he
immediately did. Nehru's election surprised many Congressmen and continues
to be a source of controversy in modern times. Nehru headed an interim
government, which was impaired by outbreaks of communal violence and
political disorder, and the opposition of the Muslim League led by Muhammad
Ali Jinnah, who were demanding a separate Muslim state of Pakistan.
After failed bids to form coalitions, Nehru reluctantly supported the
partition of India as per a plan released by the British on June 3,
1947. He would take office as the Prime Minister of India on August
15, and delivered his inaugural address titled "A Tryst With Destiny:"

"Long years
ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall
redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.
At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will
awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in
history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends,
and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It
is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication
to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause
of humanity."]

However, this period
was marked with intense communal violence that swept across the Punjab
region, Delhi, Bengal and other parts of India. Nehru conducted joint
tours [citation needed] with Pakistani leaders to encourage peace and
calm angry and disillusioned refugees. Nehru would work with Maulana
Azad and other Muslim leaders to safeguard and encourage Muslims to
remain in India. The violence of the time deeply affected Nehru, who
called for a ceasefire [citation needed] and UN intervention to stop
the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Fearing communal reprisals, Nehru also
hesitated in supporting the annexation of Hyderabad State, and clashed
with Patel on the Kashmir dispute and relations with Pakistan. Nehru
asserted his own control over Kashmir policy while Patel objected to
Nehru sidelining his Home Ministry's officials.[2] Nehru felt offended
by Patel's decision-making regarding the states' integration without
consulting either him or the Cabinet. Patel asked Gandhi to relieve
him of his obligation to serve. He knew that he lacked Nehru's youth
and popularity, and believed that an open political battle would hurt
India. After much personal deliberation and contrary to Patel's prediction,
Gandhi on January 30, 1948 told Patel not to leave the Government, and
to stay by Nehru's side in joint leadership. A free India, according
to Gandhi, desperately needed both Patel and Nehru's joint leadership.[3]

Nehru and Gandhi.Gandhi
was assassinated on January 30, 1948. At Gandhi's wake, Nehru and Patel
embraced each other and addressed the nation together. Criticism soon
arose from the media and other politicians that Patel's home ministry
had failed to protect Gandhi. Emotionally exhausted, Patel tendered
a letter of resignation, offering to leave the Government — despite
his word to Gandhi — desiring not to embarrass Nehru's administration.
Nehru sent Patel a letter dismissing any question of personal differences
and his desire for Patel's ouster. He reminded Patel of their thirty-year
partnership in the freedom struggle, and that after Gandhi's death,
it was especially wrong for them to quarrel. Moved, Patel personally
and publicly endorsed Nehru's leadership and refuted any suggestion
of discord. Despite working together, the two leaders would clash on
various issues. Nehru declined Patel's counsel on sending assistance
to Tibet after its 1950 invasion by the People's Republic of China and
ejecting the Portuguese from Goa by military force.[4]

When Nehru pressured
Dr. Rajendra Prasad to decline a nomination to become the first President
of India in 1950 in favour of Rajagopalachari, he thus angered the party,
which felt Nehru was attempting to impose his will. Nehru sought Patel's
help in winning the party over, but Patel declined, and Prasad was duly
elected. When Nehru opposed the 1950 Congress presidential candidacy
of Purushottam Das Tandon, a conservative Hindu leader, he endorsed
Jivatram Kripalani and threatened to resign if Tandon was elected. Patel
rejected Nehru's views and endorsed Tandon in Gujarat, where Kripalani
received not one vote despite hailing from that state himself.[5] Patel
believed Nehru had to understand that his will was not law with the
Congress, but he personally discouraged Nehru from resigning after the
latter felt that the party had no confidence in him.[6]

Leading India
In the years following independence, Nehru frequently turned to his
daughter Indira to look after him and manage his personal affairs. Following
Patel's death in 1950, Nehru became the most popular and powerful Indian
politician. Under his leadership, the Congress won an overwhelming majority
in the elections of 1952, in which his son-in-law Feroze Gandhi was
also elected. Indira moved into Nehru's official residence to attend
to him, inadvertently estranging her husband, who would become a critic
of Nehru's government. Nevertheless, Indira would virtually become Nehru's
chief of staff and constant companion in his travels across India and
the world.

Economic policies
Nehru implemented his socialist vision by introducing a diluted version
of state planning and control over the economy. Creating the Planning
commission of India, Nehru drew up the first Five-Year Plan in 1951,
which charted the government's investments in industries and agriculture.
Increasing business and income taxes, Nehru envisaged a mixed economy
in which the government would manage strategic industries such as mining,
electricity and heavy industries, serving public interest and a check
to private enterprise. Nehru pursued land redistribution and launched
programmes to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers
to increase agricultural production. He also pioneered a series of community
development programs aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and
increasing efficiency into rural India. While encouraging the construction
of large dams, irrigation works and the generation of hydroelectricity,
Nehru also launched India's programme to harness nuclear energy.

For most of Nehru's
term as prime minister, India would continue to face serious food shortages
despite progress and increases in agricultural production. The nation
would rely on food imports and economic development aid from the World
Bank, IMF, the United States and European nations. Nehru's industrial
policies encouraged the growth of diverse manufacturing and heavy industries,
yet state planning, controls and regulations impaired productivity,
quality and profitability. Although the Indian economy enjoyed a steady
rate of growth, chronic unemployment amidst entrenched poverty continued
to plague the population. Nehru's popularity remained unaffected, and
his government succeeded in extending water and electricity supply,
health care, roads and infrastructure to a large degree for India's
vast rural population.

A few of Nehru's
ministers had to resign on allegation of corruption .His minister of
Mines and Oil K D Malviya had to resign for accepting money from a private
party in return for certain concessions. The sitting judge of the Supreme
Court, S.K. Das reviewed all the evidence, including the account books
of the businessman in which mention had been made of a payment to Malviya,
and found two of the six charges against the Minister to be valid. Malviya
resigned as a result. [3]

Another minister
T. T. Krishnamachari had to resign when one man Justice Chagla Commission
found him guilty of corruption .[4]

Education and social
reform

Nehru distributing sweets to children in Guwahati.Jawaharlal Nehru was
a passionate advocate of education for India's children and youth, believing
it essential for India's future progress. His government oversaw the
establishment of many institutions of higher learning, including the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology
and the Indian Institutes of Management. Nehru also outlined a commitment
in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education
to all of India's children. For this purpose, Nehru oversaw the creation
of mass village enrollment programmes and the construction of thousands
of schools. Nehru also launched initiatives such as the provision of
free milk and meals to children in order to fight malnutrition. Adult
education centres, vocational and technical schools were also organised
for adults, especially in the rural areas.

Under Nehru, the
Indian Parliament enacted many changes to Hindu law to criminalize caste
discrimination and increase the legal rights and social freedoms of
women. A system of reservations in government services and educational
institutions was created to eradicate the social inequalities and disadvantages
faced by peoples of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Nehru
also championed secularism and religious harmony, increasing the representation
of minorities in government.

National security
and foreign policy
talks to Pakistan prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra during his 1953
visit to Karachi.Although having promised in 1948 to hold a plebiscite
in Kashmir under the auspices of the U.N., Nehru grew increasingly wary
of the U.N. and declined to hold a plebiscite in 1953. He ordered the
arrest of the Kashmiri politician Sheikh Abdullah, whom he had previously
supported but now suspected of harbouring separatist ambitions; Bakshi
Ghulam Mohammad replaced him. On the international scene, Nehru was
a champion of pacifism and a strong supporter of the United Nations.
He pioneered the policy of non-alignment and co-founded the Non-Aligned
Movement of nations professing neutrality between the rival blocs of
nations led by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Recognising the People's Republic
of China, Nehru sought to establish warm and friendly relations with
it despite the annexation of Tibet in 1950, and hoped to act as an intermediary
to bridge the gulf and tensions between the communist states and the
Western bloc.

While hailed by
many for working to defuse global tensions and the threat of nuclear
weapons, Nehru's neutrality was always suspect and assailed by many
politicians and governments when he refused to condemn the Soviet invasion
of Hungary in 1956 in the same vein he had criticised the joint invasion
of the Suez Canal by the British, French and Israelis. Suspicion and
distrust cooled relations between India and the U.S., which suspected
Nehru of tactily supporting the Soviet Union. Nehru was also criticised
for underallocation of funds and resources for India's military services,
even as the U.S. provided extensive military aid to Pakistan. Accepting
the arbitration of the UK and World Bank, Nehru signed the Indus Water
Treaty in 1960 with Pakistani ruler Ayub Khan to resolve long-standing
disputes about sharing the resources of the major rivers of the Punjab
region.

Final years
Public viewing of Nehru's body, which lies in state.Nehru had led the
Congress to a major victory in the 1957 elections, but his government
was facing rising problems and criticism. Disillusioned by intra-party
corruption and bickering, Nehru contemplated resigning but continued
to serve. However, Nehru's reputation suffered owing to corruption scandals
of party MPs and ministers, as well as by public dissatisfaction with
a stagnating economy and government inefficiency. The election of his
daughter Indira as Congress President in 1959 aroused criticism for
alleged nepotism. Although the Pancha Sila (Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence) was the basis of the 1954 Sino-Indian treaty over Tibet,
in later years, Nehru's foreign policy suffered through increasing Chinese
antagonism over border disputes and Nehru's decision to grant asylum
to the Dalai Lama. After years of failed negotiations, Nehru authorized
the Indian Army to annex Goa from Portugal in 1961. While increasing
his popularity, Nehru received criticism for opting for military action.

In the 1962 elections,
Nehru led the Congress to victory yet with a diminished majority. Opposition
parties ranging from the right-wing Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Swatantra
Party, socialists and the Communist Party of India performed well. In
a matter of months, a Chinese invasion of northeastern India exposed
the weaknesses of India's military as Chinese forces came as far as
Assam. Widely criticised for neglecting India's defence needs, Nehru
was forced to sack the defence minister Krishna Menon and accept U.S.
military aid. Nehru's health began declining steadily, and he was forced
to spend months recuperating in Kashmir through 1963. Upon his return
from Kashmir in May 1964, Nehru suffered a stroke and later a heart
attack. He died in the early hours of May 27, 1964. Nehru was cremated
as per Hindu rites at the Shantivana on the banks of the Yamuna River,
witnessed by hundreds of thousands of mourners who had flocked into
the streets of Delhi and the cremation grounds.

Jawaharlal Nehru
Biography
Born: November 14, 1889
Died: May 27, 1964
Achievements: Took active part in Non-Cooperation Movement; elected
President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served
for two years as the city's chief executive; Presided over Congress'
annual session in Lahore in 1929 and passed a resolution demanding India's
independence; elected as Congress President in 1936, 1937, and 1946;
became first Prime Minister of independent India; was one of the main
architects of Non Aligned Movement.

Jawaharlal Nehru,
also known as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the foremost leaders
of Indian freedom struggle. He was the favourite disciple of Mahatma
Gandhi and later on went on to become the first Prime Minister of India.
Jawahar Lal Nehru is widely regarded as the architect of modern India.
He was very fond of children and children used to affectionately call
him Chacha Nehru.

Jawahar Lal Nehru
was born on November 14, 1889. His father Motilal Nehru was a famous
Allahabad based barrister. Jawaharlal Nehru's mother's name was Swaroop
Rani. Jawaharlal Nehru was the only son of Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru
has three daughters apart from Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehrus were Saraswat
Brahmin of Kashmiri lineage.

Jawaharlal Nehru
received education in some of the finest schools and universities of
the world. He did his schooling from Harrow and completed his Law degree
from Trinity College, Cambridge. The seven years he spent in England
widened his horizons and he acquired a rational and skeptical outlook
and sampled Fabian socialism and Irish nationalism, which added to his
own patriotic dedication.

Jawaharlal Nehru
returned to India in 1912 and started legal practice. He married Kamala
Nehru in 1916. Jawahar Lal Nehru joined Home Rule League in 1917. His
real initiation into politics came two years later when he came in contact
with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had launched
a campaign against Rowlatt Act. Nehru was instantly attracted to Gandhi's
commitment for active but peaceful, civil disobedience. Gandhi himself
saw promise and India's future in the young Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru family changed
its family according to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings. Jawaharlal and Motilal
Nehru abandoned western clothes and tastes for expensive possessions
and pastimes. They now wore a Khadi Kurta and Gandhi cap. Jawaharlal
Nehru took active part in the Non- Cooperation Movement 1920-1922) and
was arrested for the first time during the movement. He was released
after few months.

Jawaharlal Nehru
was elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924,
and served for two years as the city's chief executive. This proved
to be a valuable administrative experience for stood him in good stead
later on when he became the prime minister of the country. He used his
tenure to expand public education, health care and sanitation. He resigned
in 1926 citing lack of cooperation from civil servants and obstruction
from British authorities.

From 1926 to 1928,
Jawaharlal served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress
Committee. In 1928-29, the Congress's annual session under President
Motilal Nehru was held. During that session Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas
Chandra Bose backed a call for full political independence, while Motilal
Nehru and others wanted dominion status within the British Empire. To
resolve the point, Gandhi said that the British would be given two years
to grant India dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would
launch a national struggle for full, political independence. Nehru and
Bose reduced the time of opportunity to one year. The British did not
respond.

In December 1929,
Congress's annual session was held in Lahore and Jawaharlal Nehru was
elected as the President of the Congress Party. During that sessions
a resolution demanding India's independence was passed and on January
26, 1930 in Lahore, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled free India's flag. Gandhiji
gave a call for Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. The movement was
a great success and forced British Government to acknowledge the need
for major political reforms.

When the British
promulgated the Government of India Act 1935, the Congress Party decided
to contest elections. Nehru stayed out of the elections, but campaigned
vigorously nationwide for the party. The Congress formed governments
in almost every province, and won the largest number of seats in the
Central Assembly. Nehru was elected to the Congress presidency in 1936,
1937, and 1946, and came to occupy a position in the nationalist movement
second only to that of Gandhi. Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested in 1942
during Quit India Movement. Released in 1945, he took a leading part
in the negotiations that culminated in the emergence of the dominions
of India and Pakistan in August 1947.

In 1947, he became
the first Prime Minister of independent India. He effectively coped
with the formidable challenges of those times: the disorders and mass
exodus of minorities across the new border with Pakistan, the integration
of 500-odd princely states into the Indian Union, the framing of a new
constitution, and the establishment of the political and administrative
infrastructure for a parliamentary democracy.

Jawaharlal Nehru
played a key role in building modern India. He set up a Planning Commission,
encouraged development of science and technology, and launched three
successive five-year plans. His policies led to a sizable growth in
agricultural and industrial production. Nehru also played a major role
in developing independent India's foreign policy. He called for liquidation
of colonialism in Asia and Africa and along with Tito and Nasser, was
one of the chief architects of the nonaligned movement. He played a
constructive, mediatory role in bringing the Korean War to an end and
in resolving other international crises, such as those over the Suez
Canal and the Congo, offering India's services for conciliation and
international policing. He contributed behind the scenes toward the
solution of several other explosive issues, such as those of West Berlin,
Austria, and Laos.

But Jawahar Lal
Nehru couldn't improve India's relations with Pakistan and China. The
Kashmir issue proved a stumbling block in reaching an accord with Pakistan,
and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese
invasion in 1962, which Nehru failed to anticipate, came as a great
blow to him and probably hastened his death. Jawaharlal Nehru died of
a heart attack on May 27, 1964.